But the condition of the Dhobikhola River is still the same as the government failed to implement its plan, which disappoints the people of the constituency. [break]
The plan was formulated by the Municipality Development Committee in 1995 when senior leader of the Nepali Congress was the prime minister of the country.
Although Kathmandu-5 is considered Nepali Congress stronghold, the party has not taken any strong initiatives in the constituency.
“Like the plan for developing corridor, there are several other lingering plans,” says Uddhav KC, a local of Hadigaun and an advocate by profession. “That´s why people of this constituency are not that much excited about the upcoming election.”
According to KC, there are many areas that need attention. For example, roads and heritage sites in the constituency require maintenance and protection, but no efforts have been made by the government to address the problems.
There are both urban and rural areas within the constituency 5 of Kathmandu district. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) wards 2, 3, 4 and 5 along with the five VDCs of the Kathmandu district: Tokha Saraswati, Tokha Chandeshwori, Dhapasi, Khadka Bhadrakali and Budanilkantha, lie in the constituency. The prime minister´s official residence also comes under the constituency.
There are 55,377 voters in the constituency.
The constituency 5 of Kathmandu is said to be less developed than other constituencies of Kathmandu. Poor supply of drinking water and rundown road infrastructure have been causing great inconvenience to people. Meanwhile, most houses located in the constituency have been destroyed during road expansion by the government. Though the government assured to provide compensation to the affected homeowners, most of them have not got the compensation yet.
“People living in the VDCs of the constituency have to walk long distance in order to get public transportation,” says Ganesh Shrestha, an official of KMC ward 5. “Most of the roads are in pathetic condition so it´s very difficult for public vehicles to use them.”
Likewise, though the constituency boasts of well-known private and government hospitals like Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (SGNHC), Grande International Hospital, among other, it lacks good schools and colleges.
Narhari Acharya of Nepali Congress, Ishwor Pokhrel of CPN-UML, Mahendra Shrestha of UCPN-Maoist, Radha Krishna Karki of Terai Madhesh Democratic Party, Rajbir Dangol of Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party are the candidates fighting the CA polls from constituency 5. Ujjwal Thapa, an independent candidate, is also contesting the elections from the constituency.
Altogether, there are 10 candidates contesting from the constituency. Thapa´s election symbol, a dog, has managed to draw attention of many voters of the constituency.
“Dog is regarded as an honest animal, that´s why I have chosen it as my election symbol,” says Ujjwal Thapa. “People in the constituency want change and I hope they will help me win the election from the constituency.”
Strong contenders of Kathmandu-5
Narhari Acharya
Nepali Congress
Narhari Acharya, a renowned leader of Nepali Congress, has a strong support base in the municipalities and VDC´s of constituency 5 of Kathmandu. He won the last election securing 13,245 votes. He is regarded as one of the strong candidates of the constituency. He is a well-established name in Nepal´s politics, seen by many as an intellectual figure. However, his involvement in a rally against the road expansion led many to regard him as someone who is anti-development. He has opened an office in the constituency where general public can file their complaints. He has done a lot to minimize the problem of poor supply of drinking water, however, the problem still persists.
Ishwor Pokhrel
CPN-UML
Ishwor Pokhrel, general secretary of CPN-UML, is another strong candidate of Kathmandu-5. Although he had been blamed for corruption and many other charges, he is still quite popular in the constituency. Pokhrel got 9,120 votes in the last election and faces a great challenge of beating the candidate of Nepali Congress. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML both have strong support in the constituency. The CPN-UML party has carried out different developmental programs in the constituency. Pokhrel has assured those whose houses were destroyed during the road expansion to provide compensation.
Celebrities in the constituency
Nir Shah, actor
I will support Nepali Congress candidate Narhari Acharya and hope he will win the election from the constituency. He is very capable and philosophical but it does not mean others are not capable. But I think Acharya´s presence inside the Constituent Assembly will make a difference. Acharya is the only candidate who regularly stays in touch with the general public.
Pushpa Basnet, CNN Hero 2012
I have not yet decided about the party or candidate I´d vote for, however, I wish a young candidate wins the election from the constituency. We should give a chance to young candidates than to repeat same old faces. So I think, we must give one chance to the youngsters and see their work.
Sambhujeet Baskota, Singer and composer
My vote will go to an honest candidate, who has the capacity to play effective role for the development of our country. Definitely, all of our candidates are good so we have to be very careful. Our one vote means a lot to each of the candidates.
Votes in 2008
Number of voters: 62,936
Total vote cast: 38,984
Narahari Acharya (NC) 13,245
Ishwar Pokhrel (UML) 9,120
Dipendra Prakash Maharjan (Maoist) 8,089
Kamal Thapa (Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal) 3925
Daman Bahadur Khatri (CPN- ML) 1022
Kathmandu-5
Tokha Saraswati, Tokha Chandeshwori, Dhapasi, Khadka Bhadrakali and Budanilkantha VDCs and KMC wards 2, 3, 4 and 5
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